JP5529186B2 - Water server - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water server capable of pouring water previously transferred from a replaceable raw water container to a storage tank as drinking water.

  In the water server, when a valve is opened by a user's lever operation or cock operation, the water in the storage tank flows out from the water injection channel, and the discharged water can be poured into the user's cup or the like. Among them, there is one in which the raw water container is disposed at the lower part of the casing and the storage tank is provided at a higher position than the raw water container. In this type of water server, when a used raw water container is replaced with a new one, an operator does not have to lift a heavy new raw water container and the work load can be reduced. Since the storage tank is higher than the raw water container, a water supply channel that pumps the water from the raw water container to the storage tank is adopted. When the amount of water in the storage tank decreases, the pump automatically operates, and the water in the raw water container is pumped up to the storage tank until the storage tank reaches a predetermined amount of water (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The water server in which the raw water container is placed in the inverted state is provided with a piercing portion that pushes upward the stopper of the raw water container that is arranged in the inverted state. One end of the water supply channel is provided at the piercing portion. The pushing of the stopper by the piercing part is generally performed by lifting the raw water container and lowering it while hitting the piercing part. As in Patent Document 1, it may be due to a mechanism that raises the piercing portion with respect to a predetermined raw water container. In any case, both the unsealing of the raw water container and the connection with the water supply channel can be performed by inserting the piercing portion.

Japanese Patent No. 4802299 JP 2001-153523 A

  Since the thing of patent document 1 is a connection structure which seals a raw | natural water container, a water supply channel, and a storage tank, if a rigid container is employ | adopted as a raw | natural water container, it will pump up the water of a raw | natural water container with a pump, and a pump burden will become large. . For this reason, as the raw water container, as described in paragraphs 0021 and 0022 of Patent Document 2, it is preferable to employ a soft container that can shrink at atmospheric pressure as the amount of residual water decreases.

  However, even if a soft container is employed, as in Patent Document 1, in the case of a water server in which the raw water container is placed in an inverted state, the side peripheral portion of the raw water container is shrunk so as to be folded as the remaining water amount decreases. When the volume of the raw water container is reduced to the vicinity of the container opening, the rigidity of the side peripheral portion is superior to the atmospheric pressure, and the pump burden may increase.

  In view of the above-mentioned background, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to suppress the work load when replacing the raw water container of the water server, and to suppress the pump load until the raw water container is used up.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention suppresses the work load at the time of replacing the raw water container by arranging the raw water container at the lower part of the casing in an inverted state and providing one end of the water supply channel at the piercing portion. In the water server, by adopting a soft container with a portion that can shrink at atmospheric pressure as the residual water volume decreases, it is possible to avoid forcibly pumping up immediately after replacement, thereby reducing the burden on the pump. Can do. Furthermore, by providing an intake passage that allows the raw water container to freely suck in the air during the operation of the pump, if the pumping progresses and the raw water container does not shrink, the raw water container will self-prime the air according to the decrease in the amount of residual water. From the air intake. For this reason, the pump is not forcibly pumped up until the raw water container is used up, and the burden on the pump can be suppressed. By providing one end of the intake passage at the pierced portion, the intake passage is connected to the raw water container together with the opening of the raw water container, so that it is possible to maintain the convenience of reducing the work load at the time of replacement.

  It is preferable to provide a sterilizer that mixes a sterilizing gas in the atmosphere in the intake passage, and the operation of the sterilizer and the operation of the pump are linked. Since the bactericidal gas is mixed in the intake passage every time the pump is operated, it is possible to prevent bacterial growth in the intake passage and in the raw water container that has sucked air.

  It is preferable that the intake path is a path that is always open over the entire length between the raw water container and the atmosphere. It is possible to omit a control mechanism such as interlocking of the pump and intake passage opening / closing and detection of contraction of the raw water container due to atmospheric pressure. In order to avoid air intake from the vicinity of the ground, the intake passage is also preferably connected to the atmosphere at a higher position than the raw water container. When the intake passage is always open, the intake passage is designed to be higher than the maximum water level in the raw water container. Ascending pipe will be included. The raw water flows into the intake passage from the inverted raw water container, and the water level in the ascending pipe is the same as in the raw water container. Therefore, in the ascending pipe, the place where the water level is the same as in the raw water container is a part that is particularly easily wetted because the water surface is long and close. If this part is made into a copper pipe part, bacterial growth on the pipe surface can be continuously prevented by the bactericidal action of copper itself.

  As described above, the present invention provides a replaceable raw water container that is disposed in an inverted state in a lower part of a casing, a storage tank provided at a higher position than the raw water container of the casing, and the raw water container. A water supply path for pumping water into the storage tank, a water supply path for pouring water in the storage tank, and a piercing portion for pushing upward a stopper of a raw water container placed in an inverted state in the lower part of the housing In the water server in which one end portion of the water supply path is provided in the piercing portion, the raw water container is a soft container that can be shrunk at atmospheric pressure as the amount of remaining water decreases, and the pump During the operation of the raw water container, an intake passage through which the air can be freely sucked in is provided, and one end of the intake passage is provided in the pierced portion, thereby adopting a work when replacing the raw water container Raw water while reducing the burden Vessel it is possible to suppress the pump burden until used up.

Schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the embodiment The schematic diagram which shows the state which pulled out the slide stand shown in FIG. Sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. Sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. The fragmentary sectional view which shows the state which the shrinkage | contraction of the raw | natural water container of embodiment stopped Action diagram of intake pipe of embodiment

  An embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as “this water server”) as an example of a water server according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the water server is provided at a higher position than the raw water container 2 of the casing 1 and the replaceable raw water container 2 disposed in an inverted state at the bottom of the casing 1. The storage tank 3, the water supply path 4 for pumping the water in the raw water container 2 to the storage tank 3 by the pump 4 a, the water injection path 5 for pouring the water in the storage tank 3, and the raw water container 2 can be freely used during the operation of the pump 4 a An air intake path 6 capable of sucking air, a sterilizing device 7 for mixing a sterilizing gas in the air inside the air intake path 6, and a slide base 8 capable of being taken in and out of the lower portion of the housing 1 are provided.

  The housing 1 is a vertically placed machine frame with a storage space in which the slide table 8 can be taken in and out together with the raw water container 2 at the bottom. The lower part of the housing 1 means the lower side in which the ground height of the housing 1 is halved. The storage space of the housing 1 is covered with the front wall of the slide base 8.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the raw water container 2 is a soft container having a portion that can be shrunk at atmospheric pressure as the amount of residual water decreases. The raw water container 2 shown in the figure is an injection-molded product of a synthetic resin that can be deformed so that the side peripheral portion 2a is folded at atmospheric pressure and the bulk can be reduced in an inverted state.

  The storage tank 3 shown in FIG. 1 is a tank that adjusts the temperature of stored water. The illustrated storage tank 3 includes a cold water tank 3a that cools the stored water with the heat exchanger 9, a hot water tank 3b that heats the stored water with the heater 10, and a transfer channel 3c. The raw water pumped up in the water supply channel 4 is sent to the cold water tank 3a, and the water in the upper part of the cold water tank 3a flows to the hot water tank 3b via the transfer channel 3c. The water injection path 5 connected to the storage tank 3 is also composed of two independent systems, a cold water system connected to the cold water tank 3a and a hot water system connected to the hot water tank 3b. When a valve (not shown) that is a boundary between the cold water system or the hot water system of the water injection channel 5 and the storage tank 3 is opened by a user operation, the water below the cold water tank 3a from the cold water system or the hot water system or the upper part of the hot water tank 3b Water flows out and can be poured into a cup or the like. A baffle plate is provided in the cold water tank 3a so as to prevent the water flowing out from the water supply path 4 from descending. The storage tank 3 can be only one of a cold water tank and a hot water tank.

  The slide table 8 is connected to a guide portion of the housing 1 in order to ensure positioning with respect to the housing 1. The slide table 8 can be taken in and out in a horizontal straight line. The slide table 8 can be a cart independent of the housing 1.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the slide table 8 is provided with a piercing portion 11 that pushes upward the stopper 2 b of the raw water container 2 that is placed in the lower position of the housing 1. As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 4, the raw water container 2 in an inverted state can be placed on the slide table 8 from above the piercing portion 11 of the slide table 8 that has come out of the housing 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the container port 2c of the raw water container 2 has a cylindrical shape facing in the vertical direction, and the slide base 8 has a connection port 8a into which the container port 2c can be inserted. The vicinity of the container mouth 2c is supported in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by the receiving seat 8b of the slide base 8. When the container port 2c of the raw water container 2 in the inverted state is inserted into the connection port 8a, the pierced portion 11 protruding into the connection port 8a hits the central portion of the plug 2b. While the raw water container 2 is lowered by this insertion, the central part of the stopper 2b is pushed upward by the piercing part 11, and the container port 2c is opened. After the opening, the raw water container 2 sits on the receiving seat 8b. The raw water container 2 is kept in the inverted state until it is used up by the support of the receiving seat 8b. The central portion of the plug 2b that is pushed in is fitted to the tip of the piercing portion 11 protruding upward in the raw water container 2, and the remaining portion of the plug 2b is attached to the container port 2c of the raw water container 2. . Although the illustrated piercing portion 11 is a fixed type, a movable piercing portion may be employed as disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, one end 4 b of the water supply channel 4 and one end 6 a of the intake channel 6 are respectively provided in the piercing portion 11. For this reason, the piercing part 11 is divided | segmented into the water supply path 4 and the intake path 6 inside. The slide table 8 is provided with a joint portion 4c communicating with the one end portion 4b and a joint portion 6b communicating with the one end portion 6a. One ends of connecting pipes 4d and 6c are connected to the joint parts 4c and 6b, respectively. The connecting pipes 4d and 6c have a deformability capable of following the taking in and out of the slide table 8. The other ends of the connecting pipes 4d and 6c are connected to one end of the pumping pipe 4e and one end of the ascending pipe 6d, respectively. Due to the following deformability of the connecting pipes 4d and 6c, the water supply path 4 and the intake path 6 permitting the slide table 8 to be taken in and out are formed. For example, as the connecting pipes 4d and 6c, a bellows pipe that can be expanded and contracted in the direction in which the slide base 8 is put in and out, and a flexible pipe having flexibility can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pumping pipe 4e reaches a higher place than the cold water tank 3a. The water supply path 4 has the other end 4f at a position higher than a predetermined upper limit water level in the cold water tank 3a. The pump 4a is incorporated in the middle of the pumping pipe 4e. For example, a plunger pump or a gear pump can be used as the pump 4a. The water supply channel 4 draws water from the raw water container 2 by a pump 4a, and allows water to flow into the cold water tank 3a from the other end 4f in the form of a shower or a droplet. The operation of the pump 4a is performed when the water level sensor detects that the water level in the cold water tank 3a has become a predetermined level or less.

  The other end of the ascending pipe 6d is connected to the air chamber 6e. The other end 6f of the intake passage 6 serves as an air intake port of an air chamber 6e that communicates with the air inside the housing 1. The other end portion 6f of the intake passage 6 is preferably provided with a filter, for example, an activated carbon filter, which is passed through in order to purify contaminants such as dust, odor, and bacteria in the atmosphere.

  Since the intake path 6 is a path for communicating the raw water storage chamber of the raw water container 2 with the atmosphere, the joint 6b, the connecting pipe 6c, the ascending pipe 6d, and the other end of the air chamber 6e are connected from one end 6a. Up to 6f. The intake path 6 is a path that is always open between the raw water container 2 and the atmosphere. Since the intake passage 6 and the storage tank 3 are always at atmospheric pressure, the water level in the ascending pipe 6 d is balanced with the same water level as in the raw water container 2. The raw water container 2 shown in FIG. 1 and the raw water container 2 drawn by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5 are not pumped after the raw water container 2 is replaced, and the raw water container 2, the water supply path 4, and the intake path 6 This shows when the water level is in a steady state, that is, when the water level in the raw water container 2 and the intake passage 6 supported in the inverted state at the lower part of the casing 1 is the highest. This water level WL1 is shown in FIG. Moreover, the water level WL2 in the raw water container 2 when the raw water container 2 is used up is also shown in FIG. This water level WL2 corresponds to the lowest altitude at the opening of one end 4b of the water supply channel 4 provided in the piercing portion 11. In the illustrated example, the entire opening of the one end 4b is separated from the raw water container 2 so that the opening of the one end 4b is not blocked when the plug 2b fitted to the upper end of the piercing portion 11 falls. When the container 2 is used up normally, a small amount of residual water is allowed. If the opening of the one end portion 4b is provided at the same height as the container port 2c, a state in which there is substantially no residual water can be set to a state where the raw water container is used up.

  Since the raw water container 2 sucks air from the intake path 6, there is no accumulation of water from the intake path 6 until the raw water container 2 is used up, but the submerged area below the altitude WL 1 of the intake path 6 is easily wet. In this range, it is preferable to prevent bacterial propagation. A portion of the intake passage 6 that has the same water level as in the raw water container 2 has a range of altitude WL1-WL2, and is included in the ascending pipe 6d. The WL1-WL2 portion of the ascending tube 6d is a copper tube portion. This part is particularly easy to get wet because the water surface is close for a relatively long time until the self-priming of the raw water container 2 starts. Due to the bactericidal action of copper itself, it is possible to continuously prevent bacterial growth on the tube surface in this part. In addition, if the ascending tube 6d is made of a copper tube up to the connection with the sterilizer 7 shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to further prevent bacterial growth.

  The sterilizer 7 is configured to mix a sterilizing gas in the atmosphere at a higher place than the place where the water level in the intake water passage 6 is the same as that in the raw water container 2. The aspect in which the sterilizing gas is mixed may be any of an aspect in which the sterilizing gas is generated in the intake path 6, an aspect in which the sterilizing gas is supplied to the intake path 6 from the outside of the intake path 6, and the intake path 6. If an ozone generator that generates ozone from oxygen in the atmosphere is employed as the sterilizer 7, there is no need to replenish the sterilizing gas. For example, as an ozone generator, a photochemical reaction type that irradiates the captured atmosphere with ultraviolet light, a silent discharge type that generates ozone by discharging to the captured atmosphere, a corona discharge type, and several discharge types It is possible to appropriately adopt a composite discharge system that combines the above.

  The illustrated sterilizer 7 is configured to mix a sterilizing gas in the air in the air chamber 6e. In the air chamber 6e, a delay circuit is provided so that the taken-in air stays mixed with the sterilizing gas, so that bacteria in the air are reduced in the air chamber 6e, and bacteria in the air chamber 6e are reduced. Breeding can be prevented.

  An air introduction pipe 12 is connected to a location higher than the upper limit water level of the storage tank 3. The air introduction pipe 12 always communicates with the ascending pipe 6d and the air chamber 6e. When the water level in the storage tank 3 falls, the storage tank 3 can suck the atmosphere containing the sterilizing gas that has accumulated in the air chamber 6e through the air introduction pipe 12 from the atmospheric pressure air chamber 6e.

  The operation control of the sterilizer 7 is interlocked with the operation of the pump 4a. In order to simplify this interlocking control, the operation ON / OFF of the pump 4a and the operation ON / OFF of the sterilizer 7 are synchronized. The sterilizer 7 is operated independently of the operation of the pump 4a by predetermined program control using a timer, the concentration detection of the sterilizing gas, etc., so that the concentration of the sterilizing gas can be maintained appropriately. You can also.

(When replacing raw water container 2)
First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, from the state in which the slide table 8 is pushed into the housing 1, the slide table 8 is pulled out to expose the raw water container 2 as shown in FIGS. The used raw water container 2 is taken out from the slide table 8. Next, when the unopened raw water container 2 filled with raw water is carried up above the slide base 8 with the container port 2c facing downward, and the raw water container 2 is lowered from there, the raw water container 2 is pierced by the piercing portion 11. Is opened, and the water supply channel 4 and the intake channel 6 are connected to the raw water container 2. In this operation, the unopened raw water container 2 filled with the raw water only needs to be carried up to the height of the slide table 8 arranged at the lower part of the housing 1, so that the height of lifting the unopened raw water container 2 is high. The cost is low and the work load can be reduced. After this connection, the water in the raw water container 2 flows not only into the water supply path 4 but also into the normally open intake path 6 between the raw water container 2 and the atmosphere. The raw water container 2 can be disposed at the lower part of the housing 1 by pushing the slide table 8 as shown in FIG.

(Initial preparation of this water server)
When the operation of the pump 4a is turned on from the state of FIG. 1, the pumping from the raw water container 2 to the storage tank 3 is started. When the inside of the storage tank 3 reaches a predetermined upper limit water level, the operation of the pump 4a automatically stops. During pumping, since the water level in the storage tank 3 rises, the air in the storage tank 3 reaches the air chamber 6e through the air introduction pipe 12, and is exhausted from the other end 6f. The amount of residual water in the raw water container 2 decreases, and the bulk of the raw water container 2 that gradually shrinks becomes lower. While the volume of the raw water container 2 is reduced due to the contraction of the raw water container 2, the pump 4a does not forcibly pump up the water in the raw water container 2, so that the burden on the pump 4a can be suppressed. Since the sterilizer 7 also operates during the operation of the pump 4a, the amount of sterilizing gas in the ascending pipe 6d and the air chamber 6e increases. As the bulk of the raw water container 2 becomes lower, the water level in the raw water container 2 where atmospheric pressure acts from the outside becomes lower than WL1, and the water level in the ascending pipe 6d where atmospheric pressure acts becomes lower. When the storage tank 3 reaches a predetermined upper limit water level, the operation of the pump 4a stops and the sterilizer 7 also stops. In addition, the temperature adjustment function (heat exchanger 9 and heater 10) of the storage tank 3 is automatically turned on. In addition, after the replacement, the pumping amount for initially setting the storage tank 3 to the predetermined upper limit water level is sufficiently smaller than the raw water filling amount of the raw water container 2, and the raw water container 2 is easily contracted. Therefore, the raw water container 2 does not take in air from the intake passage 6 at the time of the first pumping, and generation of airflow toward the downstream area after the ascending pipe 6d cannot be expected.

(When pouring water from this water server)
When the water in the storage tank 3 (cold water tank 3a or hot water tank 3b) is poured from the water injection channel 5 from the state where the storage tank 3 is at the predetermined upper limit water level, the water level in the storage tank 3 (matches the water level in the cold water tank 3a). The air that is mixed with the sterilizing gas flows into the upper space of the storage tank 3 from the air chamber 6e. Thereby, bacterial propagation in the storage tank 3 can be prevented. As long as the raw water is accumulated in the intake passage 6, there is substantially no air flow in the downstream area after the ascending pipe 6d.

(Supplying operation to the storage tank 3)
When water injection from the water injection channel 5 is repeated and the water level sensor detects that the water level in the storage tank 3 has reached the predetermined lower limit water level, the pump 4a is automatically operated until the predetermined upper limit water level is reached.

(Self-priming start time of raw water container 2)
When the replenishment operation is repeated and the shrinkage of the raw water container 2 increases, the rigidity of the side peripheral portion 2a that is bent in a complicated manner surpasses atmospheric pressure, and the decrease in bulk stops. This time is indicated by a solid line in FIG. The bulk of the raw water container 2 at this time is generally 1/3 or less from the unopened time. Thereafter, as the amount of residual water in the raw water container 2 decreases, a balancing action in a direction to eliminate negative pressure in the raw water container 2 is obtained. For this reason, the raw | natural water container 2 comes to perform spontaneous suction from the intake passage 6 which is open to the atmosphere.

(At the time of self-priming of the raw water container 2 during operation of the pump 4a)
FIG. 6 shows a time when the replenishing operation is performed after the time shown in FIG. The self-priming of the raw water container 2 balances the inside and outside of the raw water container 2 with the atmospheric pressure without reducing the volume of the raw water container 2, so that the pump 4a shown in FIG. 1 does not forcibly pump up and suppresses the load on the pump 4a. Can do. When the raw water container 2 sucks air from the intake passage 6 during the operation of the pump 4a, the atmosphere containing the sterilizing gas from the storage tank 3 through the air introduction pipe 12 to the ascending pipe 6d, and the ascending pipe 6d from the air chamber 6e. The ascending tube 6d is mixed with the sterilizing gas mixed atmosphere, and the sterilizing gas is further mixed by the sterilizing device 7 in the middle of the descending, so that the high concentration sterilizing gas mixed air is sucked in. become. Therefore, bacterial growth in the raw water container 2 or in the downstream area after the ascending pipe 6d which is easily wet can be prevented. As shown in FIG. 6, air bubbles sucked into the raw water container 2 during operation of the pump 4 a rise in the raw water container 2 and accumulate in the space in the container. If the rising bubbles are prevented from being sucked into the water supply channel 4, the pumping efficiency can be prevented from decreasing. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, if the one end 4 b of the water supply channel 4 and the one end 6 a of the intake channel 6 are opened in opposite directions at opposite positions of the piercing portion 11, air bubbles are sucked in. Can be prevented.

(At the time of self-priming of the raw water container 2 when the pump 4a is stopped)
Even in a state where the pump 4a shown in FIG. 1 is stopped, a physical change in the direction in which the pressure in the raw water container 2 is reduced, for example, a change in ambient temperature may occur. In this case, the air is sucked in from the storage tank 3 and the air chamber 6e, but since the sterilizer 7 is stopped, a high sterilizing effect cannot be expected.

(When raw water container 2 is used up)
When the water level in the raw water container 2 becomes WL2 in FIG. This water server is provided with a sensor for detecting a used-up state, and by this detection, the operation of the pump 4a and the operation of the sterilizer 7 shown in FIG. During this predetermined time, the atmosphere containing the sterilizing gas flows from the intake passage 6 through the raw water container 2 to the circulation passage from the water supply passage 4 to the storage tank 3 and the air chamber 6e. be able to. In addition, the notification which prompts replacement | exchange of the raw | natural water container 2, for example, lamp lighting, is also made by the said detection.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes all modifications within the scope of the technical idea based on the description of the scope of claims. For example, the presence or absence of shrinkage of the raw water container due to atmospheric pressure correlates with parameters such as the pump load and the amount of residual water. It is also possible to improve the hygiene performance by interlocking and allowing the intake channel to communicate with the raw water container and the atmosphere only when necessary, so that the raw water container can freely suck the air.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 2 Raw water container 2a Side peripheral part 2b Plug 2c Container port 3 Storage tank 3a Cold water tank 3b Hot water tank 3c Transfer channel 4 Water supply channel 4a Pump 4b One end part 4c Joint part 4d Connecting pipe 4e Pumping pipe 4f Other end part 5 Note Water passage 6 Intake passage 6a One end portion 6b Joint portion 6c Connecting tube 6d Ascending tube 6e Air chamber 6f Other end portion 7 Sterilizer 8 Slide base 8a Connection port 8b Seat 9 Heat exchanger 10 Heater 11 Puncture portion 12 Air introduction tube

Claims (3)

An exchangeable raw water container (2) disposed in an inverted state at the bottom of the housing (1);
A storage tank (3) provided higher than the raw water container (2) of the housing (1);
A water supply channel (4) for pumping water from the raw water container (2) to the storage tank (3) by a pump (4a);
A water injection channel (5) for pouring water of the storage tank (3);
A piercing portion (11) for pushing upward the stopper (2b) of the raw water container (2) disposed in an inverted state at the lower part of the casing (1);
With
In the water server in which one end portion (4b) of the water supply channel (4) is provided in the piercing portion (11),
The raw water container (2) consists of a soft container having a portion (2a) that can shrink at atmospheric pressure as the amount of residual water decreases,
An intake passage (6) is provided through which the raw water container (2) can freely suck air during operation of the pump (4a),
One end portion (6a) of the intake passage (6) is provided in the piercing portion (11).   The sterilizer (7) which mixes sterilizing gas with the atmosphere in the said intake path (6) is provided, Operation of this sterilizer (7) and operation | movement of the said pump (4a) interlock | cooperate. Water server.   A copper pipe part (6d) in which the intake passage (6) is a path that is always open between the raw water container (2) and the atmosphere and has the same water level as the raw water container (2). The water server according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the water server.

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